WHEREAS, Alexander J. Menza, a retired New Jersey State Senator and Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, was a leader in the public life of this State, in the legal profession, and in the arts who uniquely dedicated his life to serving the common good and improving the quality of justice and the arts in New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza was a native of Newark's Ironbound section and served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956; and

WHEREAS, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1954 and his law degree from New York University School of Law in 1958; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza was first elected to public office in 1967 as a member of the Hillside Township Committee, where he served for four years, including one year as Mayor in 1969; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza was elected to the General Assembly in 1972, where he served until 1974, and was elected to the Senate in 1974, where he served until 1978; and

WHEREAS, during Senator Menza's distinguished service in the Legislature, he chaired the Mental Health Planning Committee and was widely known, in Governor Brendan J. Byrne's words, as the "voice of the voiceless" for his extraordinary efforts on behalf of the State's most defenseless citizens; and

WHEREAS, in 1978, Senator Menza stood as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for United States Senator; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza taught law as an adjunct professor of law at the Seton Hall Law School beginning in 1984; and

WHEREAS, Governor Byrne subsequently appointed Senator Menza as Superior Court Judge in Union County in 1980, where he served until 1997; and

WHEREAS, as a distinguished member of the Judiciary, he was known for his dedication in crafting outstanding written opinions, of which over 80 were published, as well as his down-to-earth personal style and willingness to address complex legal problems; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza also served as the Chair of the New Jersey Senate Task Force on Alcohol-Related Motor Vehicle Accidents and Fatalities from 1997 to 1998; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza also served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey beginning in 2004; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza, in addition to these many achievements, was a true renaissance man who loved the theater and the opera and authored many plays that were produced off-Broadway; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza was a mentor to many lawyers, public officials and artists; and

WHEREAS, Senator Menza commanded broad admiration from across the spectrum of human endeavor for his many qualities and achievements and was loved by his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Senator Menza and extend our sincere sympathy to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate to honor the memory and the passing of Senator Menza;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Monday, March 19, 2007, in recognition and mourning of the passing of Senator Alexander J. Menza.

This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this 15th day
of March
Two Thousand and Seven, and of the
Independence of the United States, the Two
Hundred and Thirty-First.